


Puzzle Pieces

by Lockandk3yfiction



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Amnesia, Forgotten Memories, I dislike adding too many tags but, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, in this AU Natsu has had amnesia for years and has trouble remembering most of his childhood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:02:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22820677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lockandk3yfiction/pseuds/Lockandk3yfiction
Summary: Memories are like the pieces to a puzzle. Every person has a puzzle of their own that reminds them of who they are but sometimes... those puzzle pieces end up lost in disarray. Sometimes there are people that lose important memories.Natsu was only sixteen when he first lost his memories but now he's twenty-two and slowly gaining them all back. If only he knew who the mystery boy in his old childhood photo was.
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22
Collections: FTLGBTales Fairy Hearts 2020





	Puzzle Pieces

**Author's Note:**

  * For [invalidprophet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/invalidprophet/gifts).



> I am VERY late to the party but, here, I brought [invalidprophet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/invalidprophet/pseuds/invalidprophet) a gift!
> 
> This work is a part of the 2020 Fairy Hearts Valentine Gift Exchange on tumblr!
> 
> The tropes I was provided with were both very good ideas and I wanted to combine them in a way that I thought could be interesting and unique. Now I had some help in the form of my beta reader so I would like to thank [mdelpin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdelpin/pseuds/mdelpin) for all her understanding.

Scarred hands patted at a wrinkled photo, tinted from time and crinkled at the edges. Imprinted in ink was the image of a young blonde girl, her arms wrapped around the shoulders of an equally young strawberry blond boy. The two smiled with toothless grins, the boys cheeks dusted in dirt. The thumb of the young man holding the photo swiped across the blonde girl’s face. Thin lips crooked upward at the fond feelings growing in his chest. Natsu knew who this girl was, met her every day at the café, and when the café was closed, they would hang out on their own. Lucy, the little blonde child, was now twenty-one and Natsu's long time best friend.

Parts of the image didn't make sense though.

A third of the image laid folded over, hiding a piece of forgotten memories. Pouting his lips, Natsu unfolded said piece of the puzzle. He doesn't know if he'll ever remember this part of history. Natsu doesn't know if he'll ever recognize the boy with dark hair and onyx eyes. He'll probably never figure out why someone would let their ten year old son run around without a shirt. Nor will he ever know why the boy in the photo seemed to glare so much at little Natsu, his arms crossed firmly over his chest.

Natsu furrowed his brows with a frown. It's only been eleven years, shouldn't he remember an old friend? Surely, Natsu knows where the boy had gone right? But…

"Natsu!" Igneel's voice rang through the halls, "What are you doing, son? Aren't you going to be late for opening?"

Right, the café!

"Hold on! I'm on my way!"

Quickly, Natsu folded the photo again. He stuffed it back into his drawer and closed it after pulling out a pair of socks. One foot and then the other, one shoe and another. Natsu tapped the heel of each shoe, muttering under his breath. A small tactic he had learned in order to memorize all the small things he sometimes forgets. His fingers thrummed against the doorway, eyes flickering between the sticky notes pasted on the adjoining wall. _Check. Check. Check!_

Bounding down the stairs, Natsu was greeted by the sweet smell of bun cake. His stomach rumbled and, for the first time that morning, Natsu realizes he hasn't eaten yet. _Damn,_ the word spirals in his mind. It attempts to pull him into a false sense of failure, a feeling Natsu knows much too well. Shaking his head, Natsu balls his fist into the oversized sweater he wears. Not today, it's too early to think that way.

"Natsu!" His father calls once more from the kitchen, "I packed you lunch and there's water in the fridge!"

Suddenly, just like that, Natsu was broken out of his simple minded yet overbearing thoughts. _What?_

Peering through the kitchen entryway, Natsu noticed his father in an apron. Patiently he diced vegetables for the nights stew. Igneel was always so patient with Natsu, even letting him live at home. Not that Natsu could easily convince his father he'll be fine on his own. 

Natsu couldn't convince himself of that sometimes, no matter his random need to leave the nest. He lived comfortably in his childhood home with his father caring for him, allowing him to be both dependent and independent. Though he could be more independent at home and dependent at work.

Natsu sighed - wishful thinking so far. It'd be impossible to go back to sixteen and wash away the event that caused Natsu so much trouble years later.

Natsu shut his eyes to take a shuddering breath. Maybe today will be easier.

Natsu didn't dare take a step into the kitchen, instead yanking the front door open and rushing outside. "I'm off to work! Bye, dad!"

"W-wait!" The bang of the door shutting cut off the sound of Igneel's worried voice. "Oh dear, he forgot his lunch again…"

Natsu paced back and forth in the dim morning light. Patting his pockets, he found them empty of keys. His pockets held no phone, no wallet, nor crumbled notes. A box of lunch and travelling bottle should have laid in his hands but they didn't. Natsu groaned, throwing his head back. What was he going to do? He already stood in front of the locked café without any way of getting in. There were only twelve minutes before opening and his house was a good thirty minute walk away. The customers were going to have his head when they arrive.

With no way of contact and no pen or paper, Natsu gave himself up to his anxieties. He slumped against the cool glass door, head buried in his raised knees. He couldn't call his dad to help. Couldn't write a note to say the café would open late. His co-worker wasn't scheduled to work for another hour. At this point, Natsu didn't care who saw him sulk. They could watch him cry for all he cared, it's not as if they knew what Natsu goes through daily.

Natsu sat on the cold wet pavement, alone for only a few moments. Distantly, he could hear the gargled sound of a car engine. The vehicle slowed to a stop in the parking lot. Without looking up, Natsu choked out a muffled "We're closed" to the driver as they shut their door.

"I can tell," a bubbly voice giggled. "Come on, Natsu. There's nothing to worry about. I'm here."

A hand gently rubbed his shoulder and when Natsu looked up with red rimmed eyes he saw Lucy crouched before him. Her lips curved in an easy smile, caramel eyes exerting a calm aura. Draped over one arm was her apron and hanging off her elbow was a familiar lunch box, a phone and water bottle tucked into its outer pockets.

"Your dad called. I hope you don’t mind that I came in early."

"You're a lifesaver."

Wrapping his arms around Lucy, Natsu squeezed her tight. He could always count on her.

"Come on, Natsu. Let's open up."

Natsu did everything he could to help Lucy prepare the machines and open shop. Pre-prepping microwave snacks and removing the chairs off the tables to settle them on the floor. In the end, however, Natsu spent the first hour after opening hiding in the stock room. Scrolling through Instagram on his phone, Natsu nibbled on the bun cake Igneel had tried to serve him this morning. There weren't many people Natsu followed online and even less he kept track of. He had a few friends in town and a condition that made it difficult for him to reminisce with them. Most of them understood, yet Natsu found it a burden to them. He muffled a sigh while stuffing bun cake into his mouth.

His thumb passed over a video of Gajeel and Levy playing with their cat, skipped over an image of the Strauss family’s camping trip. He barely paid mind to the artwork made by an artist he followed just for the hell of it. _Oh, wow. That's a very detailed tiger eye._ Then came Lucy's update, a post or two from yesterday's day off.

**@LuckyHeart:** "Out with the bestie!"

Natsu narrowed his eyes. Wasn't he Lucy's bestie? He knows he has memory problems but he certainly wasn't with her last night.

An image expanded into full view after he clicked on it. He continued to scroll through the photos of her latest posts, frowning. Natsu couldn't put a name to the face that popped up with each new click. The unruly black hair looked familiar in a way but countless people had dark color - it was common and bland. Looking closely at the boy eating ice cream in a shot, Natsu noticed he had onyx eyes and a scar above his temple. He couldn't be much older then Natsu or Lucy.

**@LuckyHeart:** "Gray sure does like ice cream! Some things never change!"

_Gray?_ The name sounded fuzzy in Natsu's head, as if a barrier was built around it.

Natsu squinted his eyes and pressed his nose to the screen for a closer look. He just couldn't get the nagging feeling to go away. He had to know Gray somehow. There had to be a reason he looked familiar.

"Hm," Natsu's bottom lip pursed and then his eyes widened.

It couldn't be? Was this _him_?

Was this the little boy glaring at Natsu in his childhood photo?

"Have a great day!" Lucy bid farewell to another customer as the bell chimed.

With Natsu needing a stress break so early in the morning, Lucy was lucky that business had started off slow. She refilled the coffee grounds once and went through only nine paper cups. The in-shop mugs were still clean, one patron sitting in the far corner. A few more customers were in line but as long as they were patient everyone should have a grand ol' time and receive their scrumptious drinks. Natsu would come out soon, that Lucy was sure of.

"Welcome! What can I get for you?" Too busy reading the last order she’d jotted down, Lucy didn't look up at the newest customer.

"Oh, come on. You really don't remember my favorite latte flavor?" Someone chuckled and Lucy grinned to herself.

"Oh, to what do I owe the great honor, Gray?" Settling her notepad down, Lucy folded her hands and rested her chin upon them. "Can't get enough of my presence, can you?"

"Can't get enough of your cinnamon rolls." The joke rolled off the tip of Gray’s tongue.

Quickly Lucy made her orders and passed them to the proper hands and when Gray finally got his own iced coffee he had plenty to ask. "So what happened to Natsu? I haven't seen that pain in the ass anywhere around town."

"Oh," Lucy blinked her pretty brown eyes and then looked away. She nibbled on her lip, uncertain what to say. "He's… around. A lot has happened since you moved away though and I don't know if it's really a good idea to re-introduce you."

Gray frowned. "Re-introduce? Come on, Luce. I know we were trouble as kids, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna terrorize him when I see him."

"I know but…" Lucy scratched the back of her head. "Maybe we should sit down."

The café door hadn't chimed to announce new customers which meant that Gray was the last of them for now. She had little time for explanation but Lucy waited too many years, not confessing the truth to either of her close friends. She needed to tell one of them about the other and perhaps Gray was the better option. After all, he was the one asking. Guiding Gray to an empty booth, the both of them settled down for a deep conversation.

Inhaling a deep breath, Lucy began. "How old were we when you moved away, Gray? Eleven?"

"Twelve."

"Right. That means it's been ten or so years since Natsu has seen you," Lucy's brows etched closer together. "Do you remember the last time you guys spoke?"

Gray shook his head. "I sent him a friend request a while back but he never accepted it."

Lucy looked away, curling in on herself slightly.

"Was that after Natsu turned sixteen?"

Suddenly Gray had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right. This conversation was beginning to sound like an interview or possibly an interrogation. Instead of answering Gray’s own question, Lucy piled them on him. One question after the other with no explanation nor sign of relief. 

Grays frown deepened. "Yeah."

Steeling herself for a bad reaction, Lucy folded her arms around her stomach. "There's a reason he hasn't tried contacting you online…" 

"What does that mean?" Gray nearly growled. "Does he not want to be friends? Because I moved away?"

Lucy shook her head. "That's not what I mean at all, Gray. It's complicated."

"What do you mean then?"

"Natsu hasn't been able to remember most of his childhood, Gray." Lucy nibbled on her bottom lip. "When Natsu was sixteen, he was injured in a car accident. His memory hasn't been the same since. A lot of his past was erased and it took months for him to recognize the faces of his father and friends.

"It hurt a lot being forgotten. I understand how this news is going to affect you, but it's worse for Natsu." Lucy shut her eyes, wishing for the ache in her chest to soften. "He has trouble every single day. He can't get in a car without having to mentally prepare himself for a panic attack. I - maybe that last part wasn't something I should have said."

Lucy smiled weakly, a wispy chuckle struggling to escape her tightly shut lips.

For all this information given, Gray listened quietly. He didn't pipe in to argue and slowly his face fell into somber understanding. So this is what Natsu has had to overcome during all the years that Gray was away. He never wanted to move in the first place, but now he wonders if staying would have made things easier. If maybe Natsu would slowly learn to remember Gray like he did Lucy. For certain, there wouldn't be a drift between them if Gray had stayed. A fair amount of picking on each other and playful fighting but that was normal between them as children. They would have grown out of that phase. Gray did and he learned more about himself and his previous relationship with Natsu through it.

"I don't think he knows you at all, Gray…"

"Yeah… I can gather that much."

Looking into Lucy's distant eyes, Gray could tell she had a heavy heart.

"He doesn't talk about you or ask where you are…" All her words stung. "Natsu used to complain so much about you going away. Always said he was going to beat you into shape when you come home. He had a funny way of showing it but he missed you. That changed when Natsu was diagnosed with amnesia and short term memory loss. It's as if you no longer existed to him."

"Luce, you're going to make me cry. Don't get all mushy on me," Gray swallowed a breath. "I missed him too and his forgetfulness doesn't change that. We were friends and I want to be his friend again."

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "You always were strong minded."

Natsu poked his head past the entryway from stockroom to café, judging whether it was safe to leave the confines of his comfort spot. Noticing that Lucy was missing from behind the counter, he realised that not many people were in the shop. Looking around Natsu spotted his friend who wasn't alone. He watched as Lucy spoke to the man sitting across from her - the same man from her Instagram posts. They seemed to be getting along; Lucy called him her 'best friend' online so it was a bit strange that Natsu hasn't seen him before. 

Many questions swirled in the depths of Natsu's mind. If this Gray really was the boy in his childhood photo, does that mean they were friends as well? Why did Lucy never introduce him? Did Gray have his own reason for not talking to Natsu? Even if Natsu didn't recognize Gray, would Gray recognize him? What would happen if they spoke to each other now?

Natsu swallowed the uncertainties that he had. There was one way to find out Grays side of the story.

"Lucy!" Natsu stepped out into the open. "Who are you talking to?"

Natsu had a clue but still he asked. He hoped he wasn't wrong, he had already embarrassed himself more than he could handle for one day.

Lucy spun in her seat as Natsu approached them, her eyes darting between him and Gray. She would know what to say if Natsu hadn't come out so soon.

"Oh! Um?" Lucy stumbled over her own words. "Natsu, this is -"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Gray." Gray stood up, offering his hand toward Natsu who shook it.


End file.
